Diary Of A Music Journalist: The UnFun Part
Getting the chance to meet and become friends with rockstars can be a double-edged sword.
By Steve Baltin
What is the coolest part of being a music journalist? I mean the real coolest part, not the free tickets, the backstage access, the times when you party with rock stars – you haven’t lived until Dave Grohl spills whisky on your cast at an Oscar party or Skrillex hugs you and tells you he loves you or you tell a room full of people to shut the fuck up because they are drunkenly chattering while you are trying to host a live Q&A with Machine Gun Kelly. All that is fun, but the absolute coolest part is seeing the human side of these icons.
As Jane and I discussed the first time we spoke, we have both been blessed to have amazingly real and intimate moments with these people. I have been on a Zoom with Jane Goodall and talked Beyoncé with Nobel Prize winner Malala. Jane and I have a few mutual connections, including Patti Smith, who is, in my mind, one of the greatest rock stars of all time. No one makes me more flustered, only because I am such a massive fan. And I have witnessed how kind, welcoming, and nurturing she is. We also share in common Courtney Love, who we both agree is one of the smartest people you’ll ever meet. I met Courtney at a freaking Karl Lagerfeld party, and we sat discussing our favorite songs.
These are amazing memories to have. But they also lead to the hardest part about being a music journalist – loss.